Cinematographic projector with indexing loader



5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS SWL l, i967 a. MoulsslE ETAL vCINEMATOGRAPHICPROJECTOR WITH INDEXING LOADER Filed July 8, 1966 EGB Mau/Ssn;

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BY E O i: ZTORNEY l Sept. 19'1'967" v l CINEMIL'IOGRAPH.`[C PROJECTORWITH INDEXING LOADER Filed July e, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS BOBMou/SS/ CA fir/D DEVE/o GES Avy TTORNEY sept 19 1967 a. MoulsslE ETAL3,342,541

CINEMATOGRAPHIC PROJECTOR WITH INDEXING LOADER Filed July 8, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept w l967 a. MouusslE ETAL 3,342,54

CINEMATOGRAPHIC ROJECTOR WITH INDEXING LOADER Filed July 8, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept-'19, 1967 B. MoulsslE ETAL 3,342,541

CINEMATOGRAPHIC PROJECTOR WITH INDEXING LOADER Filed July 8, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent-f O 3,342,541 CINEMATOGRAPHICPROJECTOR WITH INDEXING LOADER Bob Mouissie and Claude Devenoges,Yverdon, Vaud, Switzerland, assignors to Paillard S.A., Sainte-Croix,

Vaud, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Filed July 8, 1966, Ser. No.565,349 6 Claims. (Cl. 352-123) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Acinematographic projector which includes a loader containing a pluralityof reels of film and provides means for shifting the loader laterally toplace a selected reel in position to be projected. Additional meanscorrelated with the shifting means, is provided for receiving the filmbeing projected and, after its projection is completed, simultaneouslyrewinding the projected film on its original reel while the nextadjacent reel is moved into projecting position.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.371,894, filed June 2, 1964, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a cinematographic projector comprisinga light source, a lens, a lilm driving mechanism, means for feeding thefilm to be projected and receiving means to receive the projected iilm.

Cinematographic projectors for narrow film are, irl general, providedwith arms or with any other support for two spindles as receiving meansfor the feed spooland the receiving spool of the film respectively.

For loading the projector, the device requires the following operations:placing the empty receiving spool in position on the receiving spindle,removal of the full spool from its box and placing it in position on thefeed spindle, passing the iilm through driving components, and finallyhooking of its end on the hub of the receiving spool. After theprojection, it is necessary to re-wind the film on to the feeding spool;this operation is usually effected mechanically on the projector. Inorder to be able to do this at great speed, it is necessary to disengagethe film from its driving components such as feeders and claws. Thisre-winding operation constitutes a pure waste of time between theprojection of two consecutive spools.

Known devices partly overcome the above enumerated disadvantages.Automatic loading devicesV are known which ensure the placing of thefilm in position on the driving components, some of which devicesevenensure this as far as the hooking of the film on the hub of thereceiving spool. Even more recently a projector has appeared on themarket, with an incorporated receiving spool and the rewinding operationof which is triggered automatically at the end of the projection of eachspool.

In another field, progress recorded recently in the sphere of thedefinition of emulsions (in particular for substandard cinema sizes) andthe constant improvement in light sources make it possible to increasestill further the enlargement ratio between the image recorded on theiilm and the dimensions thereof projected onto the screen, making thequestions of conservation of the properties of neatness and integrity ofthe film more critical. With the majority of' known devices eachprojection requires direct manual manipulation of the film 3,342,541Patented Sept. 19, 1967 spools. The fact that they are then exposedonithe projectors to dust and the rapid re-winding develops forcesybetween the turns` which may lead to scratching ofthe film if dust isdeposited on its surface and renders iti ensure rc-winding duringprojection, they do notavoid the sliding between loops which alwaysleads, sooner ori later, to superficial micro scratches which reduce thequality of the projected image.

Furthermore, the majority of these loaders cannot be` filled by theuser, which obliges him to send all hisiiilms to a center handling thiswork, before being capable of projecting them.` Thereafter anyintervention such as cutting, mounting and the like, is prohibited tohim, unless-` he returns his loaders to `thesaid-center.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the above stated defectsand, in particular, the wasted rewinding time, while permitting a slowre-winding speed.

The projector according to the present invention is characterised inthat has a support to receive several film spools placed in at least oneloader, means for displacing the loader(s) and for permitting each spoolto be brought into the projection position, the receiving means being:arranged in such manner as to permit the return of a, projected filmtoitsspool in the loader, while it receives the film from another spool inthe course of projection.

The accompanying drawings show :byway of example an embodiment of aprojector constructed in accordancewith the present invention:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are schematic side and frontviews` of the projector.

FIGURES 3 to 8 illustrate very schematically the different phases of theoperation of the projector.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view illustrating thesuc-v cessive passage ofthe iilm in front of the lens ofi the projector.

FIGURE 10 showsa double receiving means for the.

film.

FIGURE 11 shows the displacement device of the loader.

FIGURE l2 shows a sectional view of a coupling of the device accordingto FIGURE ll. FIGURE 13 is a section along the lines XIII- XIII ofFIGURE l2.

FIGURE 14 shows a detail of the mechanism of FIG- URE 11.

FIGURES 15 and 16 showV the re-winding mechanism` in two positions.

The projector shown in FIGURES l and 2 comprises a loader 1, in whichseveral spools 2 of iilm 3 are disposed side by side and coaxially.

The loader 1 is capable of effecting, on the one handg. a transversedisplacement to bring the desired spool` behind lens 9 and, on the otherhand, a movement from.

the rear to the front to disengage the iilm from the driving members(not shown).

The loader 1 has a cover 4 capable of pivoting at 5:

and adapted, on the one hand, to engage the end ofthe film 3 of eachspool and to present it in the driving de vice (not shown) in the axisof the lens 9 and, on the other hand, to close the opening through whichthe spools 2 are introduced into the loader 1. This cover also has awindow 7 for the passage of light from a lamp. The projector alsocomprises a front part 8 on which the lens 9, a device 10 for receivingand returning the film 3 and a pressing flap 6 are mounted. The frontpart 8 may be displaced forwardly in the direction of the optical axisof the projector in order to permit the advance of the loader 1 and thedisengagement of the film from the driving and guiding devices. Thus,when the front part 8 and the loader 1 are in the forward position, theloader may be displaced one step transversely, also referred to asindexing, and the film 3, disposed on the receiving and returning device10 shifts from the film receiving position to the film return orrewinding position.

The receiving and returning device 10 comprises a receiving spindle 11,which is rotated by known means andl carries a ldisplaceable push plateor the like member adapted to transfer the roll of film from the'receiving spindle 11 to a return spindle 14 capable of turning about thespindle 13. These two' spindles 11 and 14 include means, not shown, forengaging the end of the film. For example, one or morev slots may beprovided in the spindles, in one of which slots the end of the film isinserted.

The movement of the push member 15 is synchronized with the displacementof the loader 1, in order to avoid twisting the film.

The operation of the projector is shown schematically in FIGURES 3 to 8.v

For loading the projector, the front part 8 is moved forward and theloader is moved into the advanced position. The lateral position of theloader is selected such that the spool which it is desired to project,is located opposite the lens. In the embodiment shown, the loader 1comprises five spools and it is the fourth, counting from the right,which is to be projected. FIGURE 4 shows that the loader 1 and the frontpart 8 have been returned into working position. The film 3 is engagedon the receiving hub 11 and projection may begin.

In FIGURE 5, all the film has passed from spool No. 4 onto the receivingspindle. Projection is stopped and the loader 1 and the front part 8have been brought to the` advanced position.' In FIGURE 6, the loader 1has been displaced laterally one step to theV right, indexed so thatthefollowing film No. 5 vcomes into the projection position.Simultaneously,y filmNo, 4, which is on the receiving spindle 11, hasbeen transferred by the push plate 15 to the return spindle 14.

In FIGURE 7, the loader 1 and the front part 8 are returned yto theworking position. The push plate 15 has returned to the inoperativeposition. Film No. 5 is projected and 4winds around the receivingspindle 11, While re-winding of film No. 4 proceeds simultaneously,

In FIGURE 8, the re-winding of film No, 4 is concluded, while theprojection of film No. 5 proceeds. When the projection of film No. 5 isconcluded, the front part and the loader are advanced into the inactiveposition and the loader will be indexed one step to the right so as tobring spool No. 5 into the re-winding position, the latter beingeffected during the idle time. In the event of the loader comprisingmore than five spools, spool No. 6 would be simultaneously projected andthe projection cycle would proceed until the last spool was re-Wound.

The control of the indexing of the loader may be effected automatically.For this purpose, the projector may comprise a device sensitive to thetension of the film between its spool and the driving device, the devicecontrolling the succession of the above-described operations, which arenecessary to displace the loader by one step to the right.

The passage from one film to the next may be effected very rapidly, forexample, in less than two seconds; it is possible to pass from theprojection of one film to the next without it being necessary to stopthe projector.

In any case, as a film is re-wound during the projection of thefollowing film, the re-winding may be effected very slowly, at theminimum at the same speed as that of projection. However, it seems moreadvantageous to select a re-winding speed which is a little higher, forexample, twice or three times the speed of projection; however, this isstill a very low speed compared with that of the re-winding in the caseof conventional projectors.

The described projector is intended to permit the successive projectionof all the films contained in a loader, but it is clear that means couldbe provided permitting, as desired, the projector not to be loaded withthe following film while the re-winding of a film is effected in casethe user wishes to project only some of the films, not necessarilyadjacent, contained in the loader.

It is necessary to prevent the film disengaging from the spool at theend of projection, because this would involve a serious complication onthe occasion of rewinding. For this purpose the projector may comprisestop members-adapted to be introducedinto the hub of each spool to allowthe Yinner end of the film to be fixed to the hub without having tounwind the film previously.

It is known that film spools obtained in the trade have a split hub,this hub being partly opened on at least one of the sides of the spool.

It is therefore sufficient to introduce a stop member in the hub tocompress part of the film which is passed through the slot and is insidethe hub `and thus to obtain sufiicient attachment of the film to thehub.

For the purpose of facilitating engagement of the film on the receivingspindle, the opening for the beginning of `the film may be fitted with ametal member, preferably of ferromagnetic material. This member may thencontrol the stopping of the re-winding of the film automatically bymeans of a magnetic relay and also ensure predetermined position of theend of the film on the cover when the film has been rewound.

`FIGURE 9 shows a modification in which each spool 16 of the film to beprojected is contained in a case 17a to 17e. These cases are carried bya sliding frame 18, shown in FIGURE ll. Each case has a hinged cover 19providing the passageway and guide means for the film F passing in frontofthe lens 20.

The covers 19 of the cases 17 are open before these cases are placed onthe frame 18, which permits bringing one or the other of the passagewaysprovided by the covers 19 in front of the lens 20 to effect theprojection of the desired film. Only case 17e has been shown with itscover 19 closed to show the appearance of the'case when it is not used.It is understood, however, that this case should normally be open whenit is placed on the apparatus. l

The cases 17a to 17e are brought successively into the projectionposition by a displacement in the direction of the arrow f (FIG. 9) ofthe frame carrying the cases. In FIG. 9, the case 17b is in re-windingposition, because its film has been projected just before the film incase 17C.

To make sure that the projector permits re-winding a film while thefollowing film is projected, it is necessary to provide a doublereceiving means which can receive a new film while it still contains thefilm previously projected which must be rewound.

FIGURE 10 shows schematically such a receiving means. This meansconsists of two drums 21 and 22 which can turn freely on the end of twoarms 23 and 24, these arms being articulated on a shaft 25. Springs, notshown, keep the arms 23 and 24 in contact with cams 26 and 27respectively, carried by a shaft 28 which can be driven by means of apulley 28a and a notched belt 29.

Each drum can receive a lm of one of the cases 17, and to this end itcomprises a guide 30 and 31 respectively, adapted to receive the filmarriving in its direction of displacement behind the objective lens 20and to defiect it so that it penetrates into the corresponding drum' ina substantially tangential direction to the periphery of the drum. Sincethe drums 21 and 22 turn freely on the arms 23 and 24, these drums aredriven by the friction ofthe film which is brought to or removedtangentially from its edge. Thus, at the time of loading of a drum, thefilm entering the latter constitutes initially a spiral which comes incontact with the peripheral raised edge of the drum. When the filmcontinues to be fed to the edge, it forms successive spirals which areplaced one inside the other.

FIGURE l1 is an overall view of the driving mechanism for changing thefilm, while FIGS. 12 to 14 show details of this mechanism. The mechanismcomprises a shaft 32 driven continually by an electric motor, not shown.The shaft 32 carries a coupling 33 which is shown in detail in FIGS. 12and 13. With reference to these figures, the shaft 32 drives a part 34provided with ordinary teeth 35 and sawteeth 36. A part 37 turns freelyon the shaft 32 and carries a coupling member 3S having a tooth 39adapted to engage the sawteeth 36. This member 38 is subjected to theaction of a spring 40 tending to engage the tooth 39 in the teeth 36.However, the engagement of said last mentioned elements is prevented bya stop member 41, which retains a nose 42 of the member 38. The part 37supports a pulley 43 for the notched driving belt 29 of the doublereceiving means, and also supports a cam 44 and a gear wheel 45, the useof these latter parts being indicated below.

The stop member 41 is formed by the end of a lever 46 (FIG. 9) whichcooperates with the film F during the course of projection. At the endof the projection of a spool, the film tends to enter the driving claw,not shown, on the spool 16, because the film is secured to the spool.This tension of the film causes the lever 46 to swing counterclockwiseso that the stop member 41 occupies the position indicated by 41a inFIGURE 13, thus allowing the nose 42 to escape.

At this moment, the stop or tooth 39 engages the teeth 36 and the part37 is driven with the shaft 32. The gear wheel 4S then drives anothergear wheel 45', which rotates together with a wheel 47 carrying a cam 48engaged between the teeth of a wheel 49. As can be seen from FIG. 11,this wheel 49 drives a gear wheel 50 which engages a rack 51 integralwith the frame 18. When the coupling 33 makes a complete turn, the wheel47 also makes a complete turn, which results in shifting the frame 18laterally by the distance necessary to change from the projection of onefilm to the following film.

During the displacement of the frame 18, the stretched film, which hascaused the swinging of the lever 46, is displaced laterally, so that thelever can resume its original position under the action of a spring, notshown, and the stop member 41 consequently resumes its position againstthe nose 42. Thus, before the coupling element 33 has made a completeturn, the member 41 is in the path of the nose 42 and when the latter isstopped, the part 38 is displaced against the action of the spring 40 todisengage the tooth 39 from the teeth 35.

Each time the frame 18 is displaced by one step, the receiving drum,which receives the film that has been projected, is displaced togetherwith the frame 18. The simultaneous displacement of the drums 21 and 22is obtained by a suitable profile of the cams 26 and 27. Moreover, thedriving wheel 28a of these cams has a diameter, which is twice that ofthe wheel 43 of the coupling mechanism 33 so that, when the latter makesa complete turn, the cams 27 and 28 make only a half turn.

The cam 44 of the coupling device 33 is used for the re-winding drive ofthe film that has been projected, as illustrated particularly in FIGS.15 and 16. The re-winding is effected by means of a roller 52 driven bya belt 53, this roller bearing against the periphery of the side platesof the spool 16 carrying the film to be rewouud.

To this end, this roller 52 is carried by an arm 54 subjected to theaction of a spring 55 and retained against the action of the latter(FIG. 15) by the slope 56 of a pivoting member 57, said slopecooperating with a stud 58 carried by the arm 54. The member 57 is heldby a spring 59 against the cam 44 of the coupling mechanism. When thecam 44 makes a rotation it displaces the member 57 against the action ofthe spring 59, which releases the arm 54 and brings the roller 52 intocontact with the spool driving belt 53 of the roller 52 which beltpasses over a pulley 60 secured on a shaft 61 carrying a gear wheel 62meshing with the gear wheel 35 of the coupling mechanism (FIG. 12).

When the film which has been projected is completely rewound, forexample, in the case of 17b with reference to FIG. 9, its end releases astud 63 of an arm 64 so that the latter pivots about a shaft 65 underthe action of a return spring 66. The shaft 65 is shown in FIG. 15 andin FIG. 16, and its rotation causes, by means of a cam 67 carried bythis shaft, the swinging of catch 68 which retained the part S7 againstthe action of its return spring 59. This part can thus be displaced andits slope 56 disengages the roller 52 from the periphery of thecorresponding spool 16.

Numerous embodiments may of course be provided, among which there may bementioned that in which the loader 1 is provided with several covers sothat each film spool has its own cover. An elementary loader could alsobe provided for each spool, each loader having a cover provided with awindow for the passage of light, said loaders being placed together, forexample, stacked, in the projector.

We claim:

1. A cinematographic projector comprising:

(l) a body;

(2) a light source, an objective lens, a film driving mechanism, meansfor feeding the film to be projected, receiving means for receiving theprojected film and a loader support for receiving several spools placedin at least one loader, mounted on the body;

(3) indexing means for displacing the loader and indexing each spool ina projection position;

(4) rewinding means for simultaneously returning a projected film fromthe receiving means to its original spool in the loader while anotherfilm is fed to the receiving means.

2. A projector as claimed in claim 1, having a loader for at least twospools of film, a corresponding number of covers each hinged at one endto the loader, means on the covers for guiding the film of correspondingspools and means for retaining the ends of the films on the spools.

3. A projector as claimed in claim 1, in which a pressure sensitivedevice is carried on the body between the loader support and the drivingmeans and is operatively connected to the indexing means.

4. A projector as claimed in claim 3, in which the spools are disposedin coaxial side by side relationship.

5. A projector as claimed in claim 2, having a window in each of thecovers for allowing the passage of light from the light source.

6. A cinematographic film projector including a projector body, a lightsource, an objective lens, a film driving mechanism and means forfeeding the film to be projected, a loader support mounted on saidprojector body and containing a plurality of spools of film mounted inside-by-side relationship in at least one loader,

indexing means for displacing the loader relative to said body andindexing each spool into a projecting position,

film receiving and returning means adapted to simultaneously receive afilm to be projected and return a second film which has already beenprojected to its related spool,

I. said film receiving and returning means including areceiving spindleand a return spindle disposed in co' axial side-by-side relationshipthefront partof said projector,

said film receivingand returning means further including drive meansengageable with an empty spool to rotate it and rewind the projectedfilm thereon,V

f and pushing means co-axial with said receiving and re- ReferencesVCited UNITED STATES PATENTS u Hughes et-al. T 352-80 Xj 10 JULIA'E.Co1NER,"PrimaryExaminer. I Y

1. A CINEMATOGRAPHIC PROJECTOR COMPRISING: (1) A BODY; (2) A LIGHTSOURCE, AN OBJECTIVE LENS, A FILM DRIVING MECHANISM, MEANS FOR FEEDINGTHE FILM TO BE PROJECTED, RECEIVING MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE PROJECTEDFILM AND A LOADER SUPPORT FOR RECEIVING SEVERAL SPOOLS PLACED IN ATLEAST ONE LOADER, MOUNTED ON THE BODY; (3) INDEXING MEANS FOR DISPLACINGTHE LOADER AND INDEXING EACH SPOOL IN A PROJECTION POSITION; (J)REWINDING MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY RETURNING A PROJECTED FILM FROM THERECEIVING MEANS TO ITS ORIGINAL SPOOL IN THE LOADER WHILE ANOTHER FILMIS FED TO THE RECEIVING MEANS.